|
Jeffersonville, OH | Yeah, we don't flat rate per the book. If I have a guy who isn't as experienced, I bill what the job should take based on our past experience. If I have a new guy, it's not the customers job to pay for his training, it's mine.
Now, if a job has 9 broken bolts, and someone was already there, then you're getting billed time and materials...BUT, typically, I know going into the job what can be a bear, or what is simple, and can kind of warn the customer that "look, here's what I think it should take, but here's what I've seen in the past, so it could be between $X and $X, so be ready for the bigger number, but if it's less, I'll bill you less"
Not saying I'm right all the time, or don't miss something now and then, but I don't get too many billing complaints that I remember. Maybe my memory is failing me LOL
That being said, I'm $110/hr, and I need to come up a bit more, but I'll probably wait until after spring. I just went up in the last 18 months, and hate to make too many moves too soon, or I will start getting complaints. I'm also going to simplify my service call rates, and stop figuring travel time and mileage, and just bill an "In Shop rate" and a "Road Call Rate." Time will be figured from when we leave, until we get back, but if we split a service call, It will be when we leave your place. I split a lot of service call charges now when we get in the season, I don't like charging anyone a full trip if we came there from 20 minutes away, not 40.
All goes back to trying to be as fair as I can for the customer, and myself. I think most customers appreciate that, or at least consider it down the road. If you are a steady customer of ours, you likely don't pay a service call charge for every call anyway...that's my way of saying thank you, by just billing some labor instead of a mileage and a service call.
Chris | |
|
John Deere shop rates
